


Rearrangements

by Tibby



Category: Brideshead Revisited - All Media Types
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-06-14
Updated: 2010-06-14
Packaged: 2017-10-10 03:03:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/94761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tibby/pseuds/Tibby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Charles was not Sebastian's first drinking partner, and Anthony Blanche takes pains to remind him of this.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rearrangements

**Author's Note:**

  * For [theflowerthief](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=theflowerthief).



Sebastian and I were often drunk together. In the beginning, before we dashed through the rooms, closing doors behind us and sealing ourselves away from all others, we did not often drink alone. Nor, as Anthony Blanche would sometimes take pains to point out, was I Sebastian's first drinking partner.

We were walking across the quads one time with, I think, the vague intention of attending a lecture. Blanche carried an ice bucket under his arm, while Sebastian had hold of the champagne bottle that had been cooling in it. Every so often he'd pour some wantonly into the glasses that each of us were holding.

"Can you remember, S-Sebastian, w-w-when you were first absolutely in-t-t-toxicated?" Blanche asked. We had all been blissful and silent until that moment.

Sebastian nodded and said, "I was eleven, I think."

He did not elaborate.

"C-c-can you remember w-when we w-w-would get so drunk together?" Blanche continued, "The older boys at school would sometimes have wine, dear Charles," he said, leaning in close to me, "We would always find a way t-t-t-to have some ourselves."

Sebastian took my arm and Blanche stepped back a little. We were always subconsciously rearranging ourselves, as if claiming territories or else giving them away. Somehow, I seemed to remain forever in the centre, although I felt I was being moved about quite as much as the others.

"O-o-one of the older boys was _p-p-particularly_ fond of me," said Blanche, "H-he saw me once, playing Wilde's Salome."

"They wouldn't allow Oscar Wilde at our school," I said.

"We had a very progressive teacher," said Sebastian.

"Th-they were all quite enchanted by my p-p-performance."

Sebastian agreed earnestly with this, spilling more champagne in and around glasses as he did so.

"Th-th-this one boy m-m-managed to find us a _b-bottle_ or two. B-but of course, Sebastian was the one I shared with."

Sebastian continued to smile; the kind of smile he put on when he was trying to drown out other people's voices. The smile that always seemed so pleased and eager to be polite.

I pulled Sebastian closer with the crook of my arm that was linked in his. Anthony Blanche walked a little wide of us, and we found ourselves rearranged again.


End file.
